Third PCIe Slot Usage

[Pablo 54]

General thoughts and opinions appreciated.

I have an XFX 680i board. Currently I have an XFX 8600 GT card but will be upgrading to an 8800 GTS in an SLI setup. According to the manual, I can put a Physics card or another video card (non SLI) in the Third PCIe Slot. Has anyone done something like this? Stupid idea by me? Should I sell my 8600 GT to an unsuspecting neighbor in a garage sale?

Thanks,

Paul

[Goliath182]

My one freind has a physics card with twin 8500 gts lol dont ask me why you would wanna SLI 8500 Gt's but he did. I wouldnt buy a Physics card because Nvidia bought Ageia (makers of the physics card). You could try to sell it in a yard sale but i dont know if anyone would buy it. Never seen a graphics card in a yardsale before.

[Pablo 54]

Thanks, Goliath.

I read an article about Ageia being purchased by Nvidia. I hope they push the technology forward instead of killing it off.

I am just wondering if I would see any performance bump by using the 3rd slot. If not, it goes out with the snake oil in the garage sale.

Paul

[Goliath182]

If anything it will hurt your FPS. Ive seen that you can loose as much as 20 FPS by having a physics card installed. Id just leave the last slot empty.

[Miker]

First, you can't SLI a 8600 and a 8800, you where pointing at that in first post.

You can put 3 cards in your PC, not in SLI and run 6 monitors. Also, someday PCI-e will take over PCI for sound and network cards and stuff.

[Goliath182]

PCI-e will take over for everything but im sure he will upgrade his motherboard before then so it shouldnt be a problem.

[Miker]

PCI-e will take over for everything but im sure he will upgrade his motherboard before then so it shouldnt be a problem.

Look at me, I am happy I got a MoBo with a AGP slot now aren't I?

[Goliath182]

Yea id hate to have a AGP card... hard to find a good new AGP card. But ur P4 is beast for a single core =P.

[Miker]

I am more then happy with my 7950GT AGP, I wish I had one more core though...

Back on subject, that 3rd slot will have so many uses in the future that people haven't even thought of yet.

[Goliath182]

Yea who knows maybe a separate pysics card will eventual surface for PCI-e but most likely not with Nvidia owning them it will probably be incorporated into future graphics cards.

[Ranzear]

Yea who knows maybe a separate pysics card will eventual surface for PCI-e but most likely not with Nvidia owning them it will probably be incorporated into future graphics cards.

It already is, advertised right on the box, its just not used. They likely bought Ageia so they could use their coding and adapt it to the shader-processor method on the 88s. They've had/claimed physics capability on all the 8-series cards, just nothing to run with it.

I could have been sure the PhysX cards were already PCIe 1x (short slot).

[werty316]

Unless you plan on using Tri-SLI, the 3rd PCIe slot is pretty much useless at this point.

[Miker]

Unless you plan on using Tri-SLI, the 3rd PCIe slot is pretty much useless at this point.

What are you talking about? You can put in 3 cards not in SLI and run 6 monitors from one PC. Even a PC that doesn't even support SLI.

@ Ranzear,
Some cards are PCI-e 1x, but most are still PCI.

[werty316]

Maybe I should have pointed out what I said is from a gamer's standpoint as its highly unlikely you'll ever need or use 6 monitors.

[Miker]

6 projectors... Mmm...

[PP Mguire]

First, you can't SLI a 8600 and a 8800, you where pointing at that in first post.Nobody said anything about SLIing an 8600 with an 8800.

I agree with Werty, unless your stupid rich and want tri sli its pointless to have a 3rd PCI-E 16x slot.

[Miker]

"I have an XFX 680i board. Currently I have an XFX 8600 GT card but will be upgrading to an 8800 GTS in an SLI setup."

Sounds to me like he has a 8600GT, is going to buy a 8800GTS and run them in a SLI setup.

Tri-SLI is pointless, but 3 GPUs running at there full pushing video to 6 monitors is cool.

In the future every add-on card will be PCI-e. Back in the day when they had ISA slots people wondered what you would ever put in a PCI slot. Soon enough people will have new ideas for cards that you will need a full power PCI-e slot to run.

[PP Mguire]

He probably means upgrading to 2 8800GTS SLI. Will have to wait for him to say what he really is talking about.

Look how long it took everything to go to PCI. Its taking just as long to all go to PCI-E.

[Miker]

In a couple years he will have a love/hate relationship with that 3rd PCI-e, 2 cards to go into it, what one to pick.

[Exilon]

The board would probably have failed by then and he wouldn't have to ponder that highly philosophical question.

@OP: Insert dollar bills into the third slot.

[Pablo 54]

Fellas,
Yes, my original intent was to put the 88’s in as an SLI configuration and put the 86 in the 3rd slot hoping to boost performance. Being VERY cheap, I assumed I could get something from the old 86 in that slot. From your postings, it seems like a waste of energy to mess with it at this time. Thanks for everything. All of you brought up some points that had never crossed my mind.
Paul
:icon_tiphat:

[Goliath182]

Glad to help.

[Miker]

Yep.